Childcare institutions

25 May 2020

* A scheduled number of vacancies in the Infant Division of Panevezys Algimantas Bandza Infant and Child Care Home where foster children from birth to 7 years of age or children with severe and moderate disabilities reside is 10, currently there are 46 foster children in the division; a scheduled number of vacancies in the Children division is 56, currently there is 43 child in the division.

**A scheduled number of vacancies in the foster home “Užuovėja“ is 6 (3 mothers and 3 children), and currently there are 4 residents in the foster home (2 mothers and 2 children).

• The city (district) municipality administration having adopted a decision to refer a child to the State Foster Home (hereinafter referred to as the SFH), with the Ministry of Social Security and Labour acting as the institution that implements the rights and obligations of the owner of such home or as the shareholder (owner) thereof, shall send a copy of the decision to the State Child Rights Protection and Adoption Service under the Ministry of Social Security and Labour (hereinafter referred to as the Service).

• The SFH to which the child is being referred is selected as practicable taking into account the conclusion of the Child‘s Rights Protection Division of the municipality of the place of residence of the child. When children are being placed at the special SFH, the priority is given to the children of the target groups for whom this home is intended.

• A referral of the child to the SFH is issued prior to placing a child at the SFH (hereinafter referred to as the referral).

• If there are vacancies at the SFH, the Service shall issue a referral not later than within 3 working days from the date of receipt of the decision regarding award of social care. The municipality that has adopted the decision regarding award of social care for the child shall be provided with the original copy of the referral of the Service. A copy of the referral shall be submitted to the foster institution (guardian) of the child, i.e. to the SFH to which the child is being referred.

• The referral issued is valid for 30 calendar days from the date on which it is sent to the SFH which acts as the foster institution (guardian) of the child. The institution that has issued the referral may extend the duration of validity of the referral if the municipality provides in writing with the incontestable objective reasons for which the child cannot be placed within the time specified at the SFH.

• If the child is not placed at the SFH before expiration of the referral, the decision to award social care shall be repealed.

• If there are no vacancies at the SFH, the name of the child shall be placed on a waiting list of children who are seeking social care at the SFH. The Service is responsible for drawing up and administration of the list.

• The waiting list of the children who are seeking a long-term social care at the SFH is drawn up as per the date of receipt of the decisions of the municipalities regarding award of a long-term social care at the SFH at the Service. In cases where the decisions of several municipalities regarding award of social care at the SFH are received at the same day, the date of adoption of such decisions is taken into consideration when drawing up a waiting list, and when several decisions of one municipality that have been adopted on the same day are received on the same day, then their serial number of registration is taken into consideration.

• One child can be placed on only one waiting list of the children who are seeking a long-term social care.

• The Service has the right to refrain from issuing a referral to the SFH in cases where the decision of the municipality regarding award of social care at the SFH is in conflict with the legal acts that govern award and provision of social services. The Service must notify the municipality thereof.

The students of the country are invited to volunteer at foster homes!

The State Child Rights Protection and Adoption Service helps implement the initiative to promote volunteering aimed at inviting the university students to volunteer at foster homes.

The shopping centers started selling the notebooks for students containing a printed advert that invites young people to give their attention and time to the children who live in the foster homes.

38 Lithuanian foster homes expressed their willingness to participate in the programme of promoting volunteering. Some of the foster homes already cooperate with volunteers who help the children with their home works and engage together with them in extracurricular activities. The State Child Rights Protection and Adoption Service has prepared together with the foster homes the general Guidelines for volunteering at the foster homes and the model contract of volunteering.